


Rough starts

by Alonelighthouse



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Barret is trying his best, Character Study, Cloud is a nervous mess, Gen, Tifa just wants everyone to get along
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:08:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24380332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alonelighthouse/pseuds/Alonelighthouse
Summary: Barret doesn't trust Cloud, a man of seemingly little conviction on their little do or die team and tries to get a rise out of him in the tried and true Barret manner. Tifa pulls him aside to talk to him about it and Barret thinks over how Cloud is reacting to him and what he means as part of the team.
Relationships: Cloud Strife & Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart & Barret Wallace
Comments: 4
Kudos: 132





	Rough starts

Cloud wasn’t one for words, he was made up of quiet half sounds and small thought through actions. His cold personality rubbed Barret all kinds of ways and all of them wrong.

Barret had badgered Cloud for what he was about multiple times and he never got a straight answer out of the kid and sometimes he’d just ignore Barret and stare out into space. Barret didn’t know what was up with Cloud but the situation had stink all over it. Who just runs around into life and death situations without some kind of conviction for the cause? Barret had rumbled and ranted unhappily at the merc who just stood there with absolutely no facial or vocal reactions enough times for Tifa to pull him aside and tell him to stop.

“You're making him nervous Barret,” Tifa hissed quietly as she clung to his arm.

“Nervous? That boy ain’t nervous! He’s a cocky son of a gun is what he is!”

Tifa sighed with such a weary sound that Barret instantly deflated.

“I’m sorry Tifa, he just rubs me wrong. I know it’s not an excuse but there's just something about him.”

Tifa patted his arm and leaned into his space. Barret felt tension melt away as his team member settled against him.

“You have to watch his shoulders and muscles. If they're tight and he's stiff, he's uncomfortable. If his hand twitches a little like he might clench it then he's nervous. His default expression is a resting bitch face and he doesn’t change it often.”

Tifa lightly punched him for his snickering.

“That's what it's called! Just don’t tell him I said that.”

“Okay, I’ll try but I still don't like him.”

“Noted.”

It wasn’t until the next day that Barret saw Cloud. He was sitting on one of the bar stools obviously just back from a job with the dirt streaked across his shoulders. He was still stiff which shouldn't make sense, he was alone before Barret came down and Cloud hadn’t seen Barret yet. What was making him uncomfortable?

The next step down squeaked and Cloud glanced in his direction but Barret was watching his hand instead of his face this time. It did more than twitch, it spasmed a little before settling into curling into itself and uncurling.

Barret really made him nervous then, it shouldn't be a surprise. Barret hadn't been exactly trying to make him feel at home, but usually by now people would have already figured out that Barret himself wasn’t as threatening as he appeared. They saw how much he cared for people and relaxed with a cheer of ‘Barret is here, he’ll help me!’

This isn’t what Barret wanted. He didn’t want his team to be unsettled by him, just Shinra.

Barret let out a loud hello and continued on his way to show he wasn’t a threat.

Maybe he had been an asshole to the kid but he could turn it around. Barret wasn’t the defender and heart of the team for nothing after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Can have a little Barret, as a treat.


End file.
